Hospira recalls pain reliever over overdose risk

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Hospira Inc. is voluntarily recalling one lot of its hydromorphone pain relieving injection as it may contain more than the intended fill volume, posing a risk of overdose.

Overdose of opioid pain medications such as hydromorphone may lead to life-threatening consequences, including slowed breathing, low blood pressure and reduced heart rate, the FDA said.

Hospira began the recall Thursday after a complaint that one Carpuject -- the drug delivery system -- contained more than the intended 1ml labeled fill volume.

The company said it has not received any reports of adverse events related to the affected lot.

The number of the affected lot is 12720LL and it was distributed between March and May 2012.